Chapter 5: True colours

I woke up with a pounding headache, my whole body was aching me.

I tried to sit up, but my hands were tied behind me. Panic surged in my chest as I looked at my surroundings. I pulled the ropes, but they were too tight. 

My legs, at least, were free. I looked around me, I was in a room, there was only a single narrow bed around the corner and a water dispenser 

My hand starts trembling as the reality of my situation slammed into me. 

It was getting hard to breathe.

My back pressed against the wall. I tried to lose my hand again, but was all in vain

My mind raced. The drink. That girl. 

But I didn't take the drink from he-- 

The door clicked open. I closed my eyes immediately and let my body go limp, pretending to be unconsciousness, heavy footsteps moved closer to me 

"What kind of drug did you put in her drink, Emma? She is still unconscious, " he said with his thick Italian accent 

  A soft footstep followed "That's weird, she should have woken up by now", that voice, i recognised it immediately 

She laughed softly, "She's fooling you, Marco" 

She kicked my side twice

"Get up" 

I looked into a pair of blue eyes, the same eyes that had offered me a drink at the club. I stared at her bitterly. 

“So these are the eyes everyone’s been talking about,” Marco sneered, looking at me like I was dirt. 

My eyes? What the hell was he talking about? 

“Your father did a great job hiding you,” she said with a smirk. “Too bad it was all for nothing.” 

My dad? They definitely wanted to provoke me, and it was working. But I stayed silent. 

-- 

This mansion was probably colder because it was surrounded by trees; there was no clear building in sight, just trees everywhere. 

I have been stuck here for two days, they never spoke to me even when they brought me food. 

But tonight, the man who delivered it wasn’t as careful as the rest.

He set the tray down, and when he turned his back to stand by the wall and wait for me to finish eating. I slipped the knife from the tray and tucked it under the blanket before he turned around. 

He took the tray and left when I was done, not noticing anything.

Hours passed. I waited until it was late, the moon was full tonight, and the mansion was very silent.

Then I moved. 

After several trials I finally opened the door using the knife, I walked into the hallway barefooted 

I slipped past rooms looking for an exit. If I could get woods I’d seen from the window earlier it would be hard for them to find me.

Just as I saw an exit, I heard voices around the corner. 

“…he shouldn’t have brought her here. With the Alpha dead, their whole clan is vulnerable, he should have gotten rid of her.” 

“She should be dead. She’s not like us.” 

“She doesn’t even know what she is.” 

What? 

I held my breath, heart racing. 

Alpha? Clan? What were they talking about? 

Seizing my opportunity. I ran into the woods.

Tree branches tore at my arms and legs, but I didn’t care, I couldn't stop. I just ran until the mansion was hardly visible. 

Then I heard a sound 

At first, it was distant. 

I paused my pulse quickening. 

Another howl sounded, it was closer this time.

Still, I continued running refusing to let fear of an animal slow me down.

A third howl rose, and this time it was near. Too near.

The sound was coming from the trees behind me.

I turned just in time to see something move between the trees. 

I tripped in fear as the dogs- no wolves emerged.I struggled to sit up. Three. No four wolves surrounded me.

I'm going to die, in this bush alone 

Then a voice, deep with hatred says 

“She reeks of weakness. Her blood should’ve never been born.” 

I looked around hoping to find a man around till I realised that the voice came from the wolf.

No 

There's no way 

I'm probably dreaming, fear has really made me delirious 

Another growled in reply, “She’s his daughter. The great, noble Alpha who mated with a human like she was anything more than prey. That filth stains our kind.” 

What? My father?

They were talking about my father. And me. 

None of this made sense.

Since they were engrossed in their hatred for me I stood up fast and started running away from them

A loud snarl made me freeze. 

I didn’t look back. I bolted. 

They were chasing me

I hid behind a tree, crouching, my blood pounding in my ears. Their voices sounding together behind me. 

“She’s a curse to the pack...” 

“she should’ve been killed at birth...” 

“she doesn’t even shift...” 

What the hell are they talking about?

I didn’t understand anything. I just need to leave 

Tears blurred my vision as I pushed deeper into the woods, moving as quietly as I could.

Then I saw it, a path at the end of the trees. Just a few more steps and—

A low snarl stopped me. 

I turned. 

A massive black wolf stood ahead, his eyes glowing like coals. It was the leader. I didn’t need anyone to tell me that. 

It stepped forward. 

I backed away. 

It lunged at me and pain erupted in my shoulder as it threw me unto the ground.

I kicked, screamed, and scratched it but it was usless.

It yanked me up like a rag doll and dragged me back toward the Mansion.

“No!” I sobbed. “Let me go! Please!” 

But then something shifted. 

The wolf halted mid-step, throwing me on the ground 

A new sound cracked from the tree loudly and before I could understand what was happening the wolf was thrown back roughly.

I collapsed on the floor.

A figure stepped in front of me. 

Theo. 

I never thought I would be so happy to see him

His voice was low, shaking with rage.

“Touch her again, and I swear you’ll die before you even shift.” 

The wolf growled, circling him, but Theo didn’t flinch. 

I looked at Theo to warn him to be careful but my breath hitched as I watched claws extend from his fingers. 

He was not Theo. 

He was not the boy I thought I knew. 

He was one of them. 

And he has been hiding it all along.